Friday 30th May 2014

Shed Of The Week: Volvo 850 T5

Savage Garden sang about flying to the moon and back but how about driving? This Volvo's half way there...

---

Yes, yes, we know, this is the third Swedish car in the last five weeks, and the second Volvo in that time. But this rash of Scandi-motors is only a reflection of a value-adding trend in sub-£1K motoring that Shed wants you to benefit from, as it's a good thing.

Not looking bad for nearly 250K miles...

This trend is being caused by Saab blight, whose main symptom is the often justified fear of impending and crotch-dampeningly expensive meltdown. It primarily affects owners of GM-era Saabs, but the uncertainty surrounding the post-GM fate of the company has in later years spread the effects of the blight to all cars wearing the Saab badge.

However, what seems to be happening more recently is that all Swedish cars are being infected by the blight, whether they're Saabs or not. As any self-respecting Sheddite should know, there is a fjord-sized gulf in quality between GM Saabs and Swedish cars of a certain age. Result: quality Swedish cars are becoming great value.

Enter stage right, this rather handsome '95 vintage Volvo 850 T5 GLT Estate. Let's go through that model name for a minute. Some folk (including the vendor) believe that the 850 was the last true Volvo. T5 is what you want to read on the back if you favour the idea of barrelling about the place at barmy speeds. And we know from the 240 Shed of a month or so ago that GLT are the letters to have if you like your luxury and quality. Throw that lot into an Estate body and you've got a genuine contender for the ultimate Shed.

Plenty of history to back it up too

This one is extra special because it's done nearly 240,000 miles. That may seem a lot, but what's in a mile apart from fifteen minutes walking? Shed doesn't know, in truth, as he has his own measurement of space. He calls it a millished. This is the distance at which he can't quite hear what Mrs Shed is saying. Ten millisheds equals a centished, at which distance he can't hear her shouting. A hundred centisheds makes a very happy Shed and a bloody good weekend.

Anyway, Shed believes that once you get beyond a certain point, the depreciation line switches direction and starts going up. He reckons that, once you get to 200K, ownership imperceptibly morphs from the usual battle to keep the car on the road into a challenge to create a kind of mechanical miracle. After 250K, the challenge turns into a crusade, a validation of your brilliance in choosing something that is outliving every reasonable expectation. Get it up to half a million and the local paper will be round to put your story on page 5, just under 'Bird In Tree' and 'Man Does Garden' (both genuine headlines from Shed's local rag). Hit the magic million and there's every chance a man from Volvo will be round with a fat cheque to put your car in the museum in Gothenburg.

For the Volvo museum one day? Maybe?

Whether you agree with Shed's theory or not, big numbers on this car's odo certainly confer on any owner the ability to pretend that they've looked after the old girl for the last 20 years and are solely responsible for the marvellous condition it's in now. You let Volvo main dealers service it for the sake of the history of course but you do like to tinker with it at the weekends well it's the least you can do for her she's part of the family now isn't she and it's already been to the Moon you know ha ha we're on the way back to Earth now ha ha ha ha then we'll see if we can take it to Uranus HA HA HA HA.

You do wonder what happened to make the owner want to sell it though. Seems a bit sad somehow. Not too sad, mind, as this well-used (in every sense) beastie could potentially form the basis of a very happy episode in the life of the next custodian.

Here's the ad.

1995 VOLVO 850 T5 ESTATE AUTO

MET GREEN / BLACK LEATHER

EXTENSIVE COMPLETE SERVICE HISTORY

HEATED ELECTRIC LEATHER
WOOD
AIRCON
HEATED FRONT & REAR SEATS

2.4 TURBO 240 BHP
SUPER FAST VOLVO

MOT JULY
TAX END AUGUST
BELTS DONE ALL UP TO DATE. ASTONISHING CONDITION FOR AGE

The ultimate wolf in sheeps clothing!
It is common knowledge that the T5 was a super quick criminal catcher, used by constabularies UK wide. Would have been a joy back in the day to have one over the cops in this car.

HOUSTON, WE HAVE NO PROBLEMS..

The distance from Earth to the Moon is 238,857 miles. Not far to go, just another 91 miles and this Volvo has made it! Covered a total of 238,766 miles since new, astonishing..and it's still has a clean bill of health. The most recent keeper was of a mechanical background and he has done everything on this car. I cannot fault it at all, dare I say this car is perfect? A bold statement given the age and miles, but I think it really is!

Full service history, the book is present and has a total of 17 stamps, 16 of which are official Volvo dealer service centres, every space in the book has been used, the service stamps have overflown the book there is no space left for any more stamps! Servicing evidence beyond the book is by means of receipts and invoices of which there are many, a whole file full including every Mot certificate from new too!

Serviced up to date, it really wants for nothing. Timing belt has been done recently, oil is good, tyres have deep treads etc so there is no maintenece required for quite some time. It drives perfectly straight and boosts properly too...a fast car.

Lovely colour, the body is green metallic and the paint is of a good standard. Certainly very presentable, could be made perfect for little expense or simply enjoyed as you find it. It does have a couple of marks - a blister on the boot lid and some pepeprig on the lower rear arches by the sills and the odd scuff mark on the bumpers and on the rear loading area. Wheel arches, bottom of all doors and sills are all rot free. Pretty good infact given the mileage it has covered. Amazing.

Cabin is typical era Volvo. Wood trim with leather sports chairs. All the T5 features including electric memory heated chairs, air con, cd etc.. All to be found in good order. Front chairs have a little wear as expected, carpets are superb and clean.

They really threw all the spec they had at this car, the last of 850's before they were face lifted and rebadged as V70 (which was an inferior car).

OTHER INFO

* V5 registration document
* MoT expires July 2014
* Taxed end August
* Two keys
* Two remotes
* Owners manuals
* Service booklet- 17 stamps and huge file of history

07713 862081

PART EXCHANGE WELCOME
CAN BE DELIVERED ANYWHERE

40 HD Pictures available, ask for link!
07713 862081

[Bencolem]

Have you been drinking?

[LotusEspritTurbo]

Great in their day and it's shed personified. But it's a bit long in the tooth now and not sure I'd part with cash for it.

[MauiJim]

Brings back fond memories; I had one of these in 2004/5 as an impoverished university student.

Great cars!

[Prawnboy]

proof shed is round because he is on a roll. i remember being in a volvo taxi of this era with over 300k on the clock so loads of life left in this bad boy.

[Dave Hedgehog]

i had one, it was like steering an oil tanker around corners lol

huge load capacity thou

[Axionknight]

An unimaginative, but good shed - I had a a T5R estate and it was a cracking motor and with 155K on the clock it still felt as tight as a trampoline.

Check the transmission fluid as a rule of thumb on the auto boxes, personally I'd change it if I bought one.

The PCV system is another one to keep an eye on - if the dipstick is chugging smoke out whilst the car is idling it is probably blocked, it can be a bit of a fiddly job to change too as the inlet manifold needs to come off, whatever you do don't remove the bottom bolts as the manifold is slotted, it lift straights off and they are a bh to tighen up anyway!!

Edited by Axionknight on Friday 30th May 08:00

[Dalto123]

Pretty sure I saw this on eBay only within the last couple of months - I really want one of these, but still have a bit of saving up to do

[ianwayne]

1 months MoT, hmm.

However, The Throttle Shop sell some very fast machinery + Range Rovers etc, so could be persuaded maybe to put a new one on it? If not, I'd walk away.

[Prawnboy]

Axionknight said:

.....I had a a T5R estate and it was a cracking motor and with 155K on the clock it still felt as tight as a trampoline.

Edited by Axionknight on Friday 30th May 08:00

a bit bouncy then....

[Alfa159Ti]

My old man had one of these when I was a teenager in this very colour - he used to be into CB radio and had a big aerial on the top, so people used to just melt out of his way on the motorway assuming he was CID or bomb squad.

I remember it making a great noise and being quick enough that if he was giving me and my mates a lift, we would egg him on to open the taps and I recall the acceleration pulling us back in our seats even with a car-full of hormonal boys!

His was getting on towards 200k miles if I recall.

One of my clients also has an old Volvo estate. Last time I saw him he proudly told me he had treated it to a service to mark its 400k mile anniversary!

[Bladedancer]

Love these motors. My dad had an 850 GLT 20V (not T5). Sold it with around 160k on the clock and the car still drove like it had 60k or even less.
240k is a lot but this is proper 90s design, not your modern ultra fragile, green direct injected car which will generate scary bills past 100k.

[Tuvra]

I paid £700 for a 2003 Saab HOT Aero with 2/3 the mileage

That's where "bang for buck" shed money goes....

[kdri155]

This car was on my ebay watch list a few weeks ago when I was looking for an 850/V70 T5. I travelled to Nottingham to get a V70 T5 for £450.00 and after a couple of weeks ownership I really do enjoy driving it, I just need to fit a rear spoiler and some roof rails.

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

At first I thought £995 was still a little steep, but then I realised that this is a dealer, so you will get SOGA protection even if it (probably) comes with no warranty.

Bloody good shed, IMHO.

Edited to add: I'd definitely want the dealer to put it through an MOT for me, otherwise I wouldn't be offering the full price.

And it appears to be in Scottishland, which would make it an expensive retrieve for me personally.

Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Friday 30th May 09:05

[steveb8189]

Advert said:

Wood trim with leather sports chairs

Love the fact they are chairs, not seats!

Advert said:

and some pepeprig on the lower rear arches

ummm, "pepeprig"?

I like it, would definitely need a longer MOT to tempt me though

This was the one on ebay and looks like it sold..
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1995-VOLVO-850-T5-GLT-ES...

[steveb8189]

and back on now

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1995-VOLVO-850-T5-GLT-ES...

[menoy]

The 164 on Wednesday, 850T5 now.. you're reading my mind as far as future purchase musings go!

[Gorbyrev]

One wonders how many pairs of front tyres that marvellous beast has eaten its way through on the way to its lunar destination?

[Henry Fiddleton]

Really like that.

Properly good condition, great engine, auto (great for wafting), and super load space.

[mariscalcus]

I bought a Volvo 850 T5 fully-loaded ex demo from the local main dealer in 1996. Sold it 10 years later (£1,000) for the latest model which I still have. Brilliant cars - superb long distance touring cars and they can carry anything. I looked at the equivalent BMW and Audi estates and they were mere shadows in comparison. This one is barely run-in.